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Technique for making smooth turns with Mavic Mini

Paleomanjim

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I’ve been using a technique I’ll call “drifting” to control the course of the Mavic Mini lately. This involves using the right stick or “Roll” to change the path of the flight without the use of “Yaw” or left stick input. Normally both yaw and roll are used in aircraft to make coordinated turns. The advantage of using roll for course corrections is that heading can be maintained without corrective yaw inputs. The Mavic Mini has extra sensitive yaw control that can show up as jerkiness in the video, so using roll to steer can provide very smooth video.

This technique is also useful to increase the amount of scenery that can be observed on a flight from point A to point B. As well as to avoid obstacles in the path. An example is in the below video from 1:40 to 2:00. Instead of flying over the hill I chose to fly around it by drifting or crabbing to the left until the hill was cleared and then flying directly forward again. In this case forward speed was reduced as increasing left roll was applied and the result was a panning effect until the hill was cleared. It’s a different perspective if nothing else. There is more intentional drifting from 2:43 to 3:20. Note how distant objects in the horizon remain fixed on the screen, where as yaw inputs would result in a shifting of objects left or right. It also is useful when flying low between objects, such as some of the hoodoos in the video, the use of roll is just so much smother in trying to stay centered between the hoodoos and avoid impacts. For tighter course corrections or to RTH a combination of Roll and very slight yaw can works well also. It may not be useful for shorter flights of a few hundred yards or so, but can make a difference for longer lower skimming flights.

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I agree that using yaw is not ideal. It can be jerky but also I found the video almost looks a bit blurry when you use yaw. Not exactly blurry but it doesn’t look right somehow. Nice music to you by the way! Looks great.
 
Thanks for once again sharing views of some of the incredible geologic formations from the Southwest.

I am guessing that you did not fly backwards as much as shown in the video but reversed the video for some of those sequences. And glad you did not "break it, buy it" with some of those delicate wings and top hats.
 
Thanks for once again sharing views of some of the incredible geologic formations from the Southwest.

I am guessing that you did not fly backwards as much as shown in the video but reversed the video for some of those sequences. And glad you did not "break it, buy it" with some of those delicate wings and top hats.

Thanks everyone. Most of the backward flying is forward flying and reverse editing. Someone suggested that reverse flying can be better to view because you really cannot see what is coming up. I did fly backward when flying low between the hoodoos because I can fly visually without looking at the screen, or in some cases walking beside or behind it. In those scenes C mode worked best, the rest is P Mode.

I did have another crash up by the Stone wing shown in the start of the video. It was 1/4 mile away and I tried to avoid hiking up there. I tried to do a full circle around it and could not see to the side when suddenly it crashed into another hoodoo 30' behind it. I was kinda worried on the hike to retrieve it but found it totally undamaged. Even the props were OK, just a bit of scuffing, and was able to continue flying it! The MM is one tough little bird. Originally I had ordered the Mavic Air 2 back in March, but when the dealer kept delaying shipment I cancelled my order and picked up the Mavic Mini instead. Really glad I did, half the cost and totally meets my needs for backpacking in remote areas. I am considering picking up a back up MM drone only just in case, I know it is only a matter of time before my luck runs out.

We are headed to Gold Butte next week and hope to video some awesome landscapes out there (Little Finland, Devils throat, 7 Keyholes, Falling man petroglyphs). .....Jim
 
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Sometimes i use rth to get good shots I fly out initiate the rth then i cant use sticks and gimbal for shot adjusting and not have to think about course it’s cool sometimes how u can turn camera in any direction and have it stay on course
 
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